


Car Alarms

by eurohpah



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, M/M, Mental Illness, Rekindling Friendships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-01
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-12-30 16:39:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18319178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eurohpah/pseuds/eurohpah
Summary: A story of college dropouts, bad dreams, and a phone that always goes to voice mail.





	Car Alarms

Percy dreamt of smashing up cars under the glare of headlights and high-masts along the CA State Route 24. 

Hundreds of car alarms screamed out at him, but no people climbed out. No one yelled at him or tried to stop him. The entire highway was overflowing with static, empty cars like an abandoned game of 'Rush Hour'. Every strike of Percy's sword left him stumbling as glass pooled at his feet. The clang of metal rang in his ears and echoed in the night stretched out around him. He had many questions, and the painful contorting inside his chest answered: 'Percy, you are alone'. The exhaustion was suffocating. The bruised flesh on his palms where he was gripping the sword had begun to numb, yet he couldn't stop himself. He found that he was pleading with his body to pull away. Instead, all he managed was a yell in frustration as he struck again and again. 

The gentle buzz of streetlights around him began to die down, and the surrounding darkness crept closer like an approaching high tide. Soon there was nothing except the void that had swallowed him.

Next, Percy found himself in an acrylic glass version of Caldecott Tunnel basked in an impossibly blue glow beneath the ocean. For a brief instance there was comfort. He could identify familiar creatures swimming beyond the glass. All at once there was an implosion of shards and sea water that cascaded down on him, and in a single moment, he felt his entire life collide in on itself. 

Then he woke up.

The memory of salt fresh in his mind, Percy reached for a water bottle in an attempt to drown it out, but it was only after several huge gulps that he realised he was holding his breath. While choking, he twisted the cap back on and tossed the bottle to the side. He dropped back on to the mattress. Wiping tears from his eyes, he let out one last cough before now reaching to unplug his phone and squinted at the information on the screen. 12:58. Friday 29 September. Two missed calls. 

Percy stood up and moved into the bathroom as he phoned the number back. It went straight to voicemail.

"You have reached the main desk for the Library of Alexandria. If you would like to request the complete works of Sappho: press one. If you would like to warn of us of any active pyromaniacs please: press two. If you- I'm just kidding. This is Annabeth Chase. Please leave a message."

"Hi, Annabeth. It's Percy. I know you must be busy. You called? Um. Phone me back when you have the time. That's all. Bye," he said picking his words carefully.

Annabeth didn't know where Percy had moved to since he dropped out of college little more than a week ago. For now he let her believe he'd gone back to New York, but he never knowingly lied to her about any of it. If she asked when she called back, he would tell her. She'd be angry with him, but he would still tell her.

In the meanwhile, he thought it best to distract himself. He was watching a lot of TV recently, and he enjoyed the 90s reruns the most because they gave him a rush of nostalgia for growing up in his mom's apartment. Except it didn't remind him of how bad it was to actually live there as a kid. 

At some point, the sun had set and Percy wasn't sure what time is was. A downpour outside had turned into a white-noise that accompanied the sound of evening traffic. He knew it was getting late, and a mix of cabin fever and the college counsellor's words about 'getting exercise and fresh air' were starting to weigh heavy on his mind. That's when Percy made the decision to, despite the rain, take a quick walk to calm his nerves. 

However, this trip did not enliven him in the way that he had left his apartment building hoping it would.

He'd been out for a while, reaching the edge of another white-paved New Rome street, when he heard the sound of his ringtone. With the droplets collecting on the screen, he held his phone out long enough to see it was indeed Annabeth calling him. 'Long enough' referring to the fact that almost immediately after retrieving the phone, it was torn from his hands by a passing motorcyclist. Percy tried to run down the entire length of the street after the thief, but whoever it was had turned through a red light. With that, the individual had left as expeditiously as they came. All he knew about their identity is that they wore a purple helmet with laurel leaf pattern circling the crown. 

Panting heavily, Percy stopped next to a vending machine and leant against it for support as he tried to regulate his breathing. With fists balled up, he bit his tongue to stop himself from screaming. Percy kicked the machine strong enough to dent it, and the pain seared up his foot. He bit his tongue harder. Desperation was taking hold of him and he needed to find a way to calm down again, which was usually when he started to crave the comfort that smoking provided. A bad habit he'd rather not become accustomed to again. What would people think if they saw him like this? 

The contemplation only made the tension of his muscles more intense, and several minutes passed before his body finally loosened enough to take out some quarters to put into the machine. He waited for the thud of the soda can hitting the base of the empty compartment, but he continued waiting. Impulsively, he then forcefully whacked the glass with his fist, causing the beverage to dangle over the edge. After that it did not move any further. 

Restraint was something that Percy didn't too often practice. It made logical sense that sometimes in order to get things done you need to use actions and not words, and that wholeheartedly includes rescuing your refreshment by thrusting your arm into a potentially lethal machine. As he did this, a presence appeared to his left. 

"Percy?"

Glimpsing up, Percy saw that the voice belonged to an old acquaintance and put on a confident smile.

"What's up, Nico?" he greeted his childhood friend.

Nico looked a lot healthier than Percy could recall him being before. He had put on weight. There remained a dishevelled look around him. His unruly, black hair fell at odd angles despite being tied back, but his eyes no longer looked as sunken and tired as they were in Percy's memory.

"Um. What the fuck are you doing?" inquired Nico.

"Oh, I- Give me one moment," Percy said as he panicked and attempted to tug his hand free in a brash manner. 

"You're stuck." 

"I might need a little help."

Nico snorted and shook his head to himself. Percy wasn't even sure what Nico found funny.

"Hey, you don't happen to have Annabeth's number do you?" Percy said, resuming their conversation. 

"No, sorry. I haven't really kept in contact with anyone. Why can't you use your own phone?"

"It was stolen."

Nico let out a snicker before responding. "I'm sorry. I don't actually find that funny. I just can't take you seriously right now. Anyway, I'm running late, so can you hurry up? You can come with me to see Will at the theatre. He'll want you to come."

"As thrilled as I would be to bring this gorgeous lady on a double date with you and your boyfriend, I think this relationship has me wanting some freedom, you know?" Percy patted the machine for effect, and he remarkably dislodged his arm by doing this. Percy removed his arm, lifted himself from the floor, and inhaled discernibly through his teeth before continuing. "I'm not comfortable with third-wheeling."

"He's an actor in the play, dumbass."

"I thought he was trying to become a med student."

"He's ambitious."

"Right," Percy grinned awkwardly.

This prompted a sigh from Nico, but he nevertheless gave Percy a sympathetic look.

"He'll have Annabeth's number if that will convince you to come," he promised.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this as a short extract back in September. My writing isn't strong, so apologies for grammar/spelling mistakes.


End file.
